17 essentials for your face painting kit (free pdf included)

(Download the PDF:  The 17 Essentials for Your Face Painting Kit)

 

Face paint.  Check.  Paint brushes.  Check.  Glitter.  Check.

All done and ready to dart off to face paint land?  Not so fast!

You’re off to a good start, but you’ll need way more goodies in your face painting kit to make you and your work shine.

When I first started face painting I used a backpack to put all my supplies in.

I’d lug it around to all my shows and events.  As luck would have it, my zipper   broke and I had to clutch my backpack to my chest like it was a newborn baby.

But I was the one crying.

Thankfully I graduated to a more professional kit.

First things first.  Start your kit with   a professional rolling art cart large enough to hold all your treasures.

Mine has wheels and an extendable handle.  I bought it on discount (woohoo!) from Michael’s for a little less than $100.00.  It’s been worth every penny.

Next, fill your new cart with the items you’ll need to be fully prepared for your events, parties, and festivals.

17 must haves for your face painting kit

 

• Face paints!  There are a million brands out there.  Some are good, some… not so much.  After trying many of them, I’ve settled on Diamond FX and TAG.  They are both top notch, high quality, and get the job done nicely.

• A plastic case to hold your face paints.  I don’t put lids on my paints, so I can stack the paints two high in the little plastic case.  I bought the Mehron brand case online for around $20.

• Brushes.  I keep these in a canvass container that has separators for the brushes. I have a variety of brushes, but my most used are: small round, medium round, #10 Filbert, and a 3/4” flat brush.

• Sponges.  I keep these in a gallon size Ziploc bag. I also keep an empty Ziploc bag with me for dirty sponges.  I prefer black triangle makeup face painting sponges that you can get from the dollar store.  I also use the Martha Stewart brand round sponges for circular designs.

• A container of baby wipes.  These are immensely helpful to clean gooey stuff of the kiddo’s faces before you start face painting.

• A container with several choices of glitter.  Glitter is a must have!  I have a variety pack of glitter in jars that I apply with my finger.  I also have a translucent glitter poofer.  When the lines are long I use the poofer because it’s quick!  If I have more time to spend with each kiddo they pick out whatever color they’d like and I hand apply it. Oh, and make sure you get glitter that’s safe to use on the face.

• Two hand held mirrors.  I buy cheap dollar store mirrors so it’s not a big deal if one breaks.  Well, other than the whole “7 years of bad luck” thing.  Can’t win ‘em all…

• Two small spray bottles.  A clear one holds water and a yellow one holds alcohol.  Crown Royal, specifically, for those “long days.”  😉  Just kidding.  Rubbing alcohol does the trick.  I use the water bottle to moisten my sponge and the face paint cakes and use the alcohol for disinfecting purposes.

• Two containers of accent pieces.   I keep a container of googly eyes and plastic gems/diamonds.  I use eyelash adhesive to secure the add-ons to the kiddo’s faces.  They’re a crowd pleaser.

• A small water basin.  I use this to hold the water I use for painting. It’s small, cheap, and has three separate areas that hold water.

• A gallon of fresh water.  I use this to change the water in my basin easily and when I don’t have quick access to running water.

• A 4×6 photo album.  I bought the album for a dollar and put 25 pictures of my face painting designs in it.  I print the pictures from home using regular paper.  They come out looking great and it’s all done very cheaply.  In addition, I have an account at Walgreens.com and have all my face painting pictures hosted on their site.  If I’m ever away from home and in a bind, all I have to do is place an order online and I can swing by and grab them.  Works like a charm when a three-year-old tike decides he’d like to keep your album for himself. =)

• A Styrofoam poster board of your designs.  At certain events I also display a poster board of 21 of my 4×6 designs.  This is a nice addition during busy shows and helps speed the line along.

• A clear, tall, and thin cylinder to use as a tip jar.  Not all shows allow this, but it never hurts to ask, when appropriate. Recently, I was sponsored to face paint at a community festival.  I displayed my tip jar, with permission, and earned an extra $25 per hour in tips alone!  It’s a great income supplement.

• Gel hand sanitizer.  For obvious reasons.  😉

• Scissors and a knife.  You never know…

• Business cards.  I’ve gotten tons of business from people that see me at a festival or event and take a card.

Bonus Tip:

 

I keep a few little gifts in the side pocket of my rolling case.  Things like bobble headbands, vampire teeth, ribbon wands, and other trinkets.  I give these to kiddos too sick to be painted, or if they’re too afraid.

(Download the PDF:  The 17 Essentials for Your Face Painting Kit)